Best 45 ACP self defense ammo

I have tried various loads but tend to use 230gr ball of various manufacture the most. Really do not see the need for any thing else.

I have settled on the Lehigh Xtreme Defender bullets in all of my carry and home defense pistols. Usually those loaded by Underwood. I use at least +P and +P+ when it's available. Yes, shot placement is king but velocity is the queen right beside him. These Lehigh bullets do not fragment nor expand but the flutes do tend to fling tissue outwards, making a temporary wound cavity that is larger than any hollow point ammo on the market. Penetration is consistent in gel tests and while adequate, is not excessive. The bullets are barrier blind and due to their round nose profile, work in virtually all semi auto pistols. What's not to like? Even their pricing is about the same (or less!) as other premium ammo.

Bullets such as the fragmenting type or Glasers tend to not penetrate very well and often leave massive flesh wounds that do not stop the fight quickly. While the FMJ (of any style, including SWC and flat nose) are noted for their failures which have been well documented over the years. They are simply not the best bullet for SD/HD. While they will work, an "instant" stop is pure luck or Bob Munden shooting skills, that 99% of us simply do not have. They work... eventually. In the mean time a 250 lb. thug is unscrewing your head. No thanks!

There are other bullets that work... Gold dots (especially the SB, or short barrel versions), HST, Golden Sabers, V Crowns, etc. Personally, I want every bit, every single percentage point, of advantage I can get. If using a hollow point, you want that bullet going as fast as possible, but not to the point it comes apart and doesn't penetrate (most 10mm hollow points were designed for the 40 Short & Weak and thus are not suitable for use in full power 10mm ammo). Personally, I like the 185 gr. Gold Dot HP in my .45's if I were to use up my limited supply of Underwood ammo. I have them stepping along fairly quickly at almost 1100 fps. They do not fragment (most bonded bullets have to be pushed extremely hard to make them not work correctly) nor do the petals fold back along the shank, making the bullet close to an FMJ after the initial opening... but they still penetrate well, so all is not lost! If using factory ammo (other than those using the Lehigh bullet) I usually choose the lighter bullets going as fast as they are willing to load them. However, I usually avoid factory ammo because they tend to load them much too lightly (Speer is very bad about that!).

Personally, I have, starting two years ago, transitioned from the .45 ACP to 10mm, although I still carry the .45 around my property. As much as I like the .45, I like the 10mm a whole lot more! With the light weight Underwood ammo, there is less recoil to deal with making follow up shots easy.

You use whatever makes you sleep better, as I will. I sleep like a baby!
Cheers,
crkckr

M60, he did not readjust his aim, he just had to adjust to different recoil (and probably muzzle blast). A well placed round is a great idea, unfortunately, actually getting that perfectly placed shot is a lot more problematic in the real world. And who knows what the distance will be? Ask Mr. Dickens how many times he practiced shooting at 40 yards? I do... with a rifle. Longer distances, no matter how small the odds might be, are now in my pistol practice.

If you are in a gunfight for your life you want every advantage you can get, no matter how slight it might be. Never pass up the opportunity to get that advantage because your life, or the life of someone you care about, might just hang in the balance! Most of us carry a firearm because there is a slight chance we might actually need it, while knowing that the chances are pretty slim that we will actually have the need. An insurance policy we all hope to never have to cash in. But if you ever do have to cash it in, hopefully you won't find yourself "under insured!"
Cheers,
crkckr

Col. Jeff liked what worked best - at that time! Bullet technology has changed a whole lot since then and mostly for the better! The selection of bullets available today would probably not surprise most of the old timers but they simply wern't available to them then.

HST doesn't penetrate well? I'm going to call hooey on that statement! In the Lucky Gunner tests the 230 HST penetrated 14" while the +P version penetrated 14.9. Unless you're shooting an extremely fat person, those numbers will get the bullet well into the vitals. This is, by the way, about the average penetration depth for most of the premium self defense ammo.

Personally, I like to see more on the order of 16 - 18" of penetration, which my favorite bullets, the Lehigh Xtreme Defenders, achieve easily. But I don't live in any kind of city and I'm not in the least concerned with over penetration. My second favorite bullet, and my back up for the costly Lehigh ammo, are my hand loaded 45 ACP 185gr. Speer Gold Dots, which are definitely +P. Their penetration is not as much as the Xtreme Defender bullets but it's right up there with the best available.

And before anyone says anything about using hand loads for SD, #1., I live out in the boonies of Missouri where prosecution for using such ammo is pretty unlikely. #2., my ammo is better than anything you can buy. #3. If I ever get into my back up ammo, things have really gone down the toilet!

Factory ammo, once carefully inspected and chamber checked by the end user, is probably in the 99% reliability range, give or take a couple of tenths. My ammo is 100%. Period. End of story.
Cheers,
crkckr